Improvement in pill-boxes



N. V. RANDOLPH. Pill-Box.

No. 220,658. Patented Oct.14,1879.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

N-FETERS. FHOTOUTHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIoE.

NORMAN V. RANDOLPH, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PILL-BOXES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220,658, dated October '14, 1879; application filed August '7, 1879.

I tion of a modification of my invention.

In putting up pills which are prepared with an adhesive substance or composed of deliquescent material it has been customary to place in the box with the same a dry harmless powder of some kind which prevents the pills from sticking to each other or to the sides of the box. This powder frequently cakes in the bottom of the box, and always in removin g a pill it is impossible to avoid taking up some of the powder with the pill.

My invention is designed to avoid these objections; and to that end it consists in constructing the box with a perforated diaphragm which divides the internal capacity of the box into two compartments, into one of which the pills are inserted, and into the other of which the powder may be shaken and separated from the pills when they are to be handled or removed.

In the drawings, A represents the body, and B the cover, of the box, which latter may be made of any material and of any shape. As shown, it is made round, and is preferably made of paper, like the ordinary pill-box.

Near the bottom of the body portion I arrange a perforated diaphragm or false bottom, 0, suitably fixed in place so as 'to divide the box into two compartments. This false bottom or perforated diaphragm I preferably support upon three pasteboard strips, a, arranged in triangular form, as shown, but it may be supported upon a circular strip inside the box.

I prefer, however, the triangular arrangement of thepasteboard strips, because itcrosses the area of the perforated false bottom, so as to give a better distribution of support to the same and prevents it from bagging in the center.

With this form of pill-box it will be seen that the pills are confined to the upper compartment, while the powder has free access through the perforated diaphragm, either to the pills to prevent'them from sticking or to the lower compartment, so that whenever a pill is to be removed it is only necessary to tap the box once or twice to cause the powder to leave the pills and vsift through into the bottom chamber, thus leaving the pills clean and in a proper condition to be removed and administered.

In making use of my invention I may 10- cate a perforated or slitted diaphragm in any position in the body of the box which will divide the same into two compartments; but I prefer the specific arrangement of said perforated diaphragm near the bottom of the box, as shown, in which relation it is fixed upon suitable supports and becomes a false bottom.

This invention is designed especially for pills, lozenges, capsules, or other solid bodies which are required to be coated with powder to prevent them from adhering; and it has great value in this connection, in that it not only permits the pills to be removed without a pinch of the powder, but it prevents the powder from caking or packing in the bottom of the box, which results are especially desirable when the articles are made of deliquescentmaterials.

By a slight modification of the invention, as shown in Fig. 3, I may adapt the box to use as a pufi-box for -containing powder for toilet purposes. In such case the box is made larger, and the false bottom is made of fine netting,which while it separates the powder from the pufi to prevent solid particles from clinging to the latter, allows the fine powder to have free access to the puff.

In such case the netting may be distended and held in place by a ring, d, or between two rings, d and c, by any other suitable means.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent- 1. A box for separating powder from solid bodies, having a perforated diaphragm, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A pill-box having a perforated false bot tom, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. A pill-box having a perforated false bot tom supported upon triangularly arranged bars, as shown and described.

Witnesses: N. V. RANDOLPH.

SoLoN O. KEMoN, Girls. A. PETTIT. 

